“Executive production as an act of curation” – Liz Rosenthal (Power to the Pixel)

After the recent run at The Observatory in London of Soul Paint, the multi-award winning virtual reality experience by Sarah Ticho and Niki Smit (and one of the winning pieces of XRMust’s 2024 XR Awards), we met with executive producer Liz Rosenthal to discuss this side of her profession.

As the curator of Venice Immersive and the executive producer behind several highly successful projects (SOUL PAINT, MAYA: THE BIRTH OF A SUPERHERO, (HI)STORY OF A PAINTING, CHILD OF EMPIRE, GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY), Liz Rosenthal is one of the key figures in today’s immersive landscape.

With a background in cinema and an innate curiosity for innovation and human connections, Liz has seamlessly integrated her meticulous approach to curation into her role as an executive producer. Her involvement has led to remarkable success for the projects she has worked on, both in terms of festival runs and distribution.

We sat down with her to explore the meaning of the executive producer role. How does this definition, rooted in the film industry, translate within the immersive sector? And what does it truly entail when applied to immersive productions? Understanding this role in a constantly evolving field is essential to shaping sustainable production and to create an effective ecosystem, with functional distribution models.

Executive production: a role shaped by the gaps in the immersive field

LIZ ROSENTHAL – My passion for new media was always rooted in my background in film. I was particularly interested in how stories and narrative structures would evolve across emerging digital platforms.

Even back then, I recognized the growing importance of these new spaces not just as entertainment channels, but as integral parts of people’s lives. It became clear to me that for cultural and socially conscious content to remain relevant, creators needed to adapt their practices to these evolving mediums. 

That’s when I started running development and financing programs with my company Power to the Pixel, and I believe my role as an executive producer (EP) has evolved organically from all that and from recognizing that there was a gap, in the immersive field, that needed to be filled. It was shaped by the needs I had observed in our industry, such as the need for storytelling to evolve alongside technology, and the opportunities to support meaningful creative projects.

At Creative XR, a UK programme I helped to design and lead, my title was executive producer and throughout this program this role has been integral. While it was crucial for the projects involved to receive financial support to build a prototype – which was one of the goals of the program – just as important as the funding was the mentorship: the program provided guidance on both creative and business strategy, ensuring that participants had a clear vision of where their projects were headed in terms of their format and intended audience.

What made the Creative XR programme particularly effective was the additional support the managing organisations, Digital Catapult and Art Council England provided, which covered costs for pitching materials, including videos, and ensured that each project had a solid business presentation deck. By the time participants reached the showcase market, which was one of the key moments in the program, they were fully prepared to present their projects to potential investors. This showcase was invaluable, serving as a launchpad where projects were introduced to the market in a structured and strategic way.

As an EP within the program, I played a role alongside the managing organisations in selecting three to four projects out of the 20 projects in each of the three programme cohorts, after the showcase market  to receive production funding, often their first significant production investment. But the role was also about facilitating key industry connections, financing and distribution partnerships. So, a combination of financing, mentoring, and strategic expertise. 

Over the years, Creative XR saw 60 projects come through its pipeline… and before this programme The Pixel Lab, an incubator and accelerator program I founded which ran for 8 years, helped develop around 100 projects.

There were also works, like SOUL PAINT, where I became much more involved at a later stage, after the programme was finished, where I took on a permanent role as Executive Producer. 

To be a producer in an evolving industry 

L. R. – My career started in the film industry so I’m quite familiar with that industry’s well-established route to market. While streaming platforms have certainly transformed the industry, we still have a clear understanding of how films are financed, produced, sold, and distributed. The fundamentals of financing, licensing and distribution remain the same, despite technological advancements like AI.

So, while creating any screen-based project is inherently complex, with immersive media the challenges are even greater.

This is a relatively new medium, and many of the traditional structures for production, financing, and distribution aren’t fully established yet. It’s also constantly evolving and so it requires people who can navigate this fluid landscape and help projects build a business model and strategy to reach audiences in a rapidly shifting environment. That’s why it’s crucial to nurture experienced producers within this new sector. 

It’s important to consider that there are multiple types of producers involved in any production process, each playing a vital role in shaping projects.

Line producers, for example, are responsible for getting the actual content made: they help with budgeting, assemble the crew, and manage contracts to ensure the production runs smoothly.

Then there are creative producers, who work closely with the creators to define the format and shape the creative vision of the project. They guide how IP develops from a creative standpoint.

On the business side, there’s the role of managing business models and the overall strategy: figuring out how the project will be financed, distributed, sustained in the world. This involves identifying partnerships, defining the impact model, and planning the launch.

In film and television, executive producers take on many different responsibilities, and the role can mean different things depending on the context. All these producing roles are often quite fluid and not always easy to define, even more in emerging mediums, where a role like this is even more relevant.

In our ever-changing world, in fact, it’s often difficult for creators, who are deeply immersed in the making process, to simultaneously maintain broader connections with the industry and understand what’s happening in it. Furthermore, many immersive projects are highly bespoke, which adds to their complexity. So, having a strategic figure on the team is essential.

It needs to be someone who can bridge the creative and business worlds, someone who can take a holistic view of the format, financing, and overall market landscape. This person needs to have strong networks across various industries and the ability to connect different industry silos that encompass the immersive field.

But there’s more than that. I’ve always found it frustrating, in traditional film production, that producers were often only involved in the early stages of a project. Before streaming platforms emerged, distribution followed a rigid model: producers secured a sales agent, who would then sell to distributors across different territories. Once this process was underway, producers had little involvement unless they opted for self-distribution. 

This highlights a key issue for me: producers often aren’t thinking about the entire ecosystem of their projects, only their initial production phase. While this works when traditional distribution models function smoothly, it becomes problematic when they don’t, especially in new and evolving media formats. That’s why having someone who understands and navigates the full ecosystem is critical.

And because I’ve been in this sector for some time, I’ve built up a specific knowledge on all this, and contacts that give me a broad perspective on what’s happening across multiple areas and multiple phases, and the ability to recognize emerging trends and new players. My approach has always been about seeing the full picture but also catching the fine details, understanding how all the moving parts connect and ensuring that new storytelling forms receive the support they need to thrive.

Executive production: a role anchored in strategy

L. R. – My experience with my company, Power to the Pixel, with Creative XR, and with La Biennale, but also my previous experiences in cinema such as with Next Wave Films, has shaped my position. Large-scale programs and events that I’ve led have allowed me to bring together a wide range of people while giving me an overview of both the talent landscape and the marketplace. This has given me a unique network and perspective.

Becoming an EP was not really a straightforward career decision and, in general, I don’t think it’s something you decide to be. It was more of a natural progression. Since childhood, instead of focusing intensely on one discipline, I’ve always been curious about a broad range of topics – something I think has influenced how I approach my work now and how I manage a role that is somewhat fluid and doesn’t always hold a consistent meaning.

For instance, in film credits, you’ll often see EPs listed simply because they were involved in financing, even if they weren’t directly engaged with the creative process. On the other hand, some EPs play a very hands-on role. The same goes for the immersive field: sometimes you are deeply involved in a project, while at other times, the contribution is more about providing high-level guidance.

An EP’s expertise typically lies in advising on creative formats, structuring partnerships, securing financing, and planning distribution and launch strategies. Positioning a project in the right way is critical, and I myself often approach it by working backward, starting with the end goal in mind. In a way it is all about mapping out the right trajectory for each project in a way that ensures long-term viability and impact.

So, ultimately, I see the EP role as a deeply strategic one. I recognize the importance of understanding the entire development journey of a project rather than confining yourself to just the R&D phase, and that was reflected in the programs I helped design. When working with new formats and interactive storytelling, the process is already a complex one and just figuring out what you’re making can be a challenge. But for me, the process should always start at the end, i.e. defining its goal, understanding its potential audience, and then shaping the development process to align with that vision, rather than just diving in without direction.

A look at the UK immersive market

L. R. – Being based in London, I see firsthand how the city serves as a hub for emerging creative industries, particularly in immersive media. As a financial and cultural center, London attracts investment in large-scale entertainment projects and venues, benefits from high ticket revenues and a large potential audience, and we often see new trends take shape here. And in the UK, outside of London, creative industries are equally vibrant.  However, while there is substantial R&D funding through UKRI and the university research councils in particular, most of it is directed toward tech and platform development rather than dedicated to creative content funding.

Indeed, unlike many European countries such as France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, the UK lacks government-backed funds for immersive and interactive content. While new initiatives, like the Immersive Arts Program, provide much needed and welcome support, the absence of dedicated funding for content makes it difficult for immersive studios to thrive.

Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how these financial constraints impact innovation. When government budgets tighten, new media roles and digital content initiatives are often the first to be cut. This has long been a challenge. At Power to the Pixel, we actively lobbied on that, and we became an amazing meeting point of international funds that were supporting new and interactive media.

Since then, the decline in government funding has had a noticeable impact: when public money was more readily available, programs like Creative XR fostered a wave of innovative UK projects, many of which went on to international festivals and platforms. In 2022, Venice featured a strong selection of UK projects, but today, there are far fewer UK productions in major festival lineups like SXSW, as many projects struggle to get made.

By contrast, countries with robust public funding structures continue to produce standout immersive projects. Soul Paint by Sarah Ticho and Niki Smit, a UK, Dutch Co-production by Hatsumi (UK) and Monobanda (Netherlands), benefited enormously from Dutch funding. The Netherlands has demonstrated how even a smaller territory can successfully foster innovation with the right financial backing.

To ensure the UK remains competitive in the immersive sector, we need sustained investment from public bodies. I am deeply passionate about advocating for this change, as I believe state-supported funding is essential for the long-term success of immersive storytelling. Without it, we risk losing momentum, and UK creators will find it increasingly difficult to compete on the global stage.

The possibilities offered by private funding

L. R. – Scaling up in this space almost always requires private funding. If you look at companies like Felix & Paul Studios, who created The Infinite, and Excurio, who created their Immersive Expeditions Format, their success is built on securing substantial private investment. Our latest Think Tank findings at Venice Immersive 2024 confirmed that the most effective projects often demand significant backing from private investors, whether promoters, those with stakes in ticketing and distribution, or venue owners. 

In this regard, I’ve been looking at various venues, and while they may seem distant from what we’re doing in Venice, I believe it’s crucial to understand how they operate. After all, in the UK, venues like Frameless and Lightroom have been remarkably successful with immersive projections.

Beyond that, major tech companies like Meta, Unity, and Epic play a key role, though Meta’s shifting priorities have made the landscape unpredictable. Some of the projects I’ve been involved with as an EP – Goliath: Playing with Reality, and Maya: The Birth Of A Superhero – benefited from Meta’s funding, which was crucial in securing healthy production budgets. These projects often rely on a mix of public and private funding, like Goliath, which was a UK/French co-production with additonal suport from British Film Institute (BFI) and CNC support. Also, when new hardware or software is introduced, we often look to tech companies to invest in content that showcases their platforms. However, after a product launch, that support often fades. 

This interconnected funding landscape is a puzzle, and a core part of an EP’s role is facilitating these conversations. In my experience both in film and immersive media one committed investor can inspire confidence in others, creating a domino effect. Having a champion for a project, someone with industry relationships, credibility, and trust, is essential for securing funding and advancing discussions. My previous projects have had strong industry recognition, which builds trust and makes it easier to open doors and make key connections.

In the end, new media thrives when balancing government support with industry expertise. Public funding is essential for early development, but it must be complemented by private sector involvement to ensure long-term sustainability. That’s because the support for immersive projects must extend across the entire ecosystem.

The balance between public and private sectors is crucial in driving the ecosystem and the projects forward. A stronger dialogue between hardware and software companies, venues, government funds, and content creators would be invaluable. But while policymakers do engage with major players like Meta, discussions around strategic content development are still lacking.

One issue we face even today is that public policy often takes time to adapt. Sometimes too long. Decisions and funding cycles typically operate on three-to five-year timelines, which can delay support for emerging fields. Furthermore, when working with new mediums, overly strict funding criteria can slow innovation. For example, if funding is earmarked exclusively for VR headset experiences, it may exclude other immersive formats that emerge in the meantime. That’s why it’s critical to maintain open conversations between funders, producers and creators to ensure funding structures evolve alongside technological advancements.

This perspective has been central to our Think Tank discussions in Venice, where we examine the broader industry landscape. But it was also already one of the main objectives of Power to the Pixel, which aimed to accelerate funding processes and create flexible frameworks that didn’t rigidly define formats. 

Everything is curation

L. R. – This year, the XR enterprise sector has been particularly active, with major announcements on new headsets and partnerships.

While industry reports suggest a healthy outlook, content studios are facing significant challenges, especially as past sources of financing decline and the gaming industry undergoes layoffs.  So, I’m constantly working to build new partnerships, actively reaching out to potential partners while also responding to industry shifts.

That, to me, is a form of curation. Even though I wear different hats, whether as an EP or a program lead or Curator of Venice Immersive, I ultimately see my work as an act of curation. It’s about bringing the right people together, just as a curator selects works for an exhibition or a chef carefully chooses ingredients for a meal. Sometimes, these connections are about technical expertise or business alignment, but just as often, they’re about human chemistry and understanding whether two people will connect on a psychological or creative level.

When I ran The Pixel Lab, I was intentional about curating the right mix of participants and industry experts, ensuring that each project had the right kind of partners and potential collaborators.

Now there’s Venice Immersive, which plays a unique role in this ecosystem. The Biennale is not just an exhibition. It provides a beautifully curated, audience-facing experience that showcases immersive storytelling as more than just R&D or tech experimentation. This helps shift perceptions, but logistical and financial barriers remain. Many professionals still operate within their own industry silos: museum curators attend museum events, art world figures go to art fairs, and filmmakers stick to film festivals. This fragmentation makes it challenging to foster cross-industry collaboration, and as a curator and EP, I find myself constantly traveling and attending a wide range of events to connect the right people.

After all, breaking down these silos has been central to my work since Digimart, the program I helped lead in Montréal for the late Daniel Langlois in 2005-2006, before Power to the Pixel. That initiative aimed to bridge the gap between film and the internet, setting the stage for many of the conversations we continue to have today. This is crucial, especially in consideration of the variety of needs of immersive projects, requiring completely different partners and resources. 

So, whether curating work for Venice or facilitating industry connections I continuously seek to bridge these gaps. At Venice Immersive Michel (a/n Reilhac, co-curator of Venice Immersive with Liz Rosenthal) and I aim to bring together diverse players from across the different creative sectors.

Last year, we prioritized engaging venues during the Think Tank, recognizing a major shift as online platforms stepped away from narrative and aritistic immersive content. It was vital to connect with venue owners and operators in the market, ensuring they understood the potential of these experiences and to collectively discuss how to make immersive exhibitions sustainable.

Venice Immersive is an attractive destination, but curating the right participants – projects, guests, venues representatives, and more – requires a meticulous approach. I see my role as extending our reach globally, identifying key figures who should be part of these discussions. At the same time, I stay connected with hardware and software companies, tracking relevant developments in both sectors. 

This dual perspective – curator and EP – helps me bridge gaps, which makes the two roles highly complementary. It’s true that being a curator requires me to  be extremely mindful of potential conflicts of interest – I take great care to ensure that one role doesn’t interfere with the other. There are some firm boundaries I maintain to avoid any ethical concerns, which is absolutely essential when working on different projects, like I do. Yet, my work in Venice informs and strengthens my approach as an EP because it allows me to balance all these realities, which is key to my role and makes this whole process its own form of curation.

On the relationship between independent creators and major players

L. R. – Michel and I always take a broad perspective, looking across the full spectrum of the industry. One thing I’ve observed both in independent film and the arts is that major players consistently learn from independent creators. Large organizations, whether public or private, often take longer to adapt to innovation. It takes time to develop new business strategies, establish dedicated teams, or implement policy changes. Meanwhile, independent creators, being more agile, drive early innovation.

This dynamic is evident in cinema, where many filmmaking trends originate from low-budget, independent productions before making their way into Hollywood and larger-scale films. It’s a symbiotic relationship: big companies provide the resources and infrastructure that enable groundbreaking work, but they also draw inspiration from smaller, more experimental creators.

In the early days of VR, major studios experimented with projects, but funding often came from marketing budgets, positioning VR as an extension of promotional efforts rather than a core storytelling medium. This model was and is problematic: immersive projects need dedicated financing. The challenge is even greater when dealing with high-value intellectual property (IP), where securing approvals and commissions adds layers of complexity.

Companies like ILM have set incredible benchmarks for what’s possible, much like the ABBA VOYAGE experience. What they do showcase how large-scale resources can push creative boundaries. When big brands invest in immersive projects, it sends a strong message to the entertainment and investment sectors. However, these initiatives are often subject to hype cycles, dictated by shifts in hardware and software companies’ priorities. This volatility makes it difficult to sustain content development.

And that’s one of the biggest challenges in this space: hardware and software companies rarely prioritize content development as part of their core strategy. This has been evident with companies like Apple, which took years to establish its content division, even if now it produces top-tier television and film. We can only hope other major tech companies will follow a similar trajectory.

Meta, for example, has funded remarkable projects, but their focus has oscillated between gaming, casual users, and now lifestyle applications and Horizons Worlds. While their investments have helped studios develop groundbreaking skills, the lack of long-term support risks losing that expertise. Once these studios master new storytelling techniques, they should be nurtured, not abandoned. Their knowledge could be invaluable for future projects, whether in augmented cinema with filmmakers like James Cameron or in entirely new immersive storytelling formats.

The problem, though, isn’t that immersive content is failing. It’s that it’s evolving. However, when funding is cut too soon, that evolution is disrupted. Large organizations often expect instant, tangible success and may prematurely decide that a medium “isn’t working”, when in reality, it’s still finding its shape.

From a creator’s perspective, working in this space is already complex and challenging. Without sustained support from key industry players, it becomes even more difficult. The immersive industry needs strategic, ongoing investment to ensure that the knowledge and expertise being developed aren’t lost in the constant cycle of shifting priorities.

Conclusions

L. R. – Over the past 20 years of running programs and events, one key lesson stands out to me: working with new forms of media is incredibly challenging for both producers and artists. It’s not just about developing a new project. It’s also about navigating an entirely new landscape, where everything  is constantly changing.

Government and private funding can provide essential support, but what’s often missing is the right kind of leadership and mentorship. Projects need executive producers (EPs) or equivalent figures embedded in their development, people who can guide creators through the complexities of launching innovative work. Simply providing funding isn’t enough; these projects require deep industry connections, strategic foresight, and an ability to envision where they will ultimately land. It’s a work that requires significant effort, imagination, and risk-taking. Without this level of strategic thinking, projects risk stalling after their initial funding phase.

Creators should also explore how their assets can be adapted across multiple platforms, whether that means tapping into the art world, exploring collectible digital assets, or leveraging emerging technologies. There are countless ways to extend the life and reach of a project, but they require structured guidance and an understanding of the broader ecosystem.

So, for emerging media to thrive, we need programs that integrate this kind of strategic support into their framework, and people who can implement it. It’s not just about securing funding; it’s about ensuring that projects have the right people in place to help them navigate new formats, market landscapes, and distribution opportunities. Without this holistic approach, even the most promising innovations may struggle to reach their full potential.